According to just-released documents from the former East German secret police files, the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II was organized by the Soviet Union. While that is no great surprise, this treasure trove shows that the KGB organized the plan, ordered their Bulgarian counterparts to do the hit, and had the East German Stasi coordinate the operation and then cover the trail and eliminate any loose ends.
The Bulgarians then recruited Turkish extremist Mehmet Ali Agca to kill the Pope. Letters were found by the Germans which indicated the Stasi requested Bulgarian intelligence to help cover up the operation.
After the Pope was shot, and the would-be-assassin was arrested, Agca claimed the operation was under the control of the Bulgarian embassy to Italy. The Bulgarians denied involvement and said that the Italian secret police force was trying to smear Bulgaria and socialism.
Because John Paul II had gone after communism and was preaching about freedom, dignity and religion in his native Poland (and in Eastern Europe), which was under the control of the Soviets, Moscow perceived him as a threat and decided to kill him to silence him.
They failed and Pope John Paul II's leadership and outspokenness helped free Eastern Europe from Soviet domination. It's good that the truth came out now; John Paul II is approaching the twilight of his reign and his life, and it's entirely appropriate for his questions (and the world's questions) about the assassination attempt to be answered.
Here's the story.
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